Two-wheeled vehicle



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MQP. HOLMES. 4Two W-HBELBD VEHICLE.

(No Model.)

Patented Oct. 19

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Iy @MALA (No Model.) 2 sheetssheet 2. M. P. HOLMES. TWO WHEELED VEHICLE.

Patented Oct. 19, `1897.

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NITED STATESv PATENT Fries.

` MILO Pi HOLMES, or SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

Two-WHEELED vEHlo-LE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of lLetters Patent No. 592,091, dated October 19, 1897.

Application filed February 17, 1897. tleral No. 623,837. (No model.)

1'0 a/ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, MILO RHOLMES, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Two-Wheeled Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements made in-the construction of the class of twowheel vehicles known as carts; and the invention consists in certain novel construction with the wheels taken off. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the same with the seat removed to expose parts of the body beneath. Fig. 3 is a detail View in perspective .of the inner end of one of the shafts and the means of connecting it to the frame. Fig. 4 is a'perspecltive view ofone of the fraIne-irons that carries the boot in front ofthe axle and the step in the rear. Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of Fig.

1 with one of the seats turned up. Fig. dis 'f a perspective view of the boot and the step or rack behind.

One of the objects of the present invention is to attach the animal to the cart in such manner that the vibrations or shaking motion of the shafts will not be transmitted to i the body of the cart,so that the disagreeable eect known as the horse motion is removed.

Another object is to prevent the boot from .dropping below or away from the axle.

case of accident to the running-gear or parts of the frame, such as the breaking of a spring or the clips that fasten it to the frame and axle, the parts below the seat-frame are liable to drop down in contact with the ground and throw the driver out of the seat, and in most ofthe carts of this kind in which the seat is supported directly upon the frame and the boot is suspended under it no provision has been made to prevent the rear end of the frame from dropping down and throwing out the occupant of the seat in case of accident to the parts of the running-gear that connect the seat-frame with the axle.

The frame of the cart is constructed in the usual rectangular form of the longitudinal side-bars and cross-bars A A A. The shafts are attached by bolts E E, on which they are allowed to oscillate in a limited arc under the movements of the animal harnessed in the shafts, while the seat and the boot are set on and carried by the frame, the former on the rear part and the latter suspended under the front part of the frame.

From the bolt-holes E' to the rear ends, the shafts B B are Worked down to a tapered form,

with top and bottom faces finished, preferably, with a slightly-convexed surface lengthwise'of the shaft, and the sidesleft of about the same width or thickness. Upon this tapered portion are placed stift' spring-tongues C C, one over the top and the other under the Ylower side, and each one secured at the front end tothe shaft by bolts or screws CX, but

free and unattached for the remainder of the length-from the point of attachment to the rear end. Each spring is curved or bent slightly out of a straight line, so that the outer or free ends stand awayV from the shaft, but both springs are set in the same general plane with the shaft.

Fixed to each side-bar and on the outer side, about midway in the length of the bodyframe A A', is a loop D of flat bar-iron, having a rectangular opening of about the same widt-h as the ends of the springs C C and of suitable length to take in and confine the ends of the two springs While in their expanded position, or under a relativelysmall degree of compression, so that with the Shaft in the horizontal position, or substantially in line with the side-bar of the frame, these inner or unconnected ends within the loop will bear against the top and bottom ends of the loop Wit-h about the same amount or degree of pressure; but While thus confined in the loop the two springs are loose or disconnected from the body of the cart, so that they have longitudinal play or movement in the ends of the loop under whatever degree or amount of vibrating motion the shaft may have on its pivot E. At the same time they extend a constant yielding pressure against the top and bottom ends of lthe loop, so that the vibrations of the shaft instead of being transmitted tothe body-frame are taken up bythe springs, and the frame is equally balanced on the axle by the combined action of the two springs. An important point to be observed in this construction is the location of the bolt E with reference to the point at which the fixed ends of the springs C are secured `to the shaft; for unless this point of oscillation E be placed behind or to the rear of the point where the springs C are fastened to the shaft the desired effect or result will not be obtained, and a greater or less amount of vibratory motion will be transmitted to the body of the cart from the motions of the horse. I find also that the best and most satisfactory results are secured when the singletree G is removed from the cross-bar ofthe shafts and placed upon the front cross-bar of the body-frame, as I have shown in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings. By this construction and combination of frame, shafts, and connecting means I succeed in overcoming the disagreeable vibrations of the cart-body on its axle and of ren- Y dering vehicles of this class comfortable and pleasant to ride in.

The boot K is supported below the frame A A in front of the axle M by two longitudinal bars H II and suspension-rods I IX, the bars being secured at the front ends LX to the front cross-bar of the body-frame and carried longitudinally to the rear parallel with each other, and somewhat inside the line of the side-bars A A, to afford room for the springs F F. From the front end hX each bar II extends backward and downward at proper inclination to support the foot-board K at a convenient angle, and the horizontal member that lies in front of the axle has a bend HX, forming a bow of proper height and width of opening to extend over the axle and stand out of contact with it under all the movements of the body of the cart upon its springs, whether taking pla-ce in a vertical direction or in a longitudinal direction. The remaining horizontal portion II behind the bend or bow Il extends to the rear to about the same distance as the side-bar A above it, and on these two members H/ of the bars are secured transverse slats L L to form a step for entering and leaving the cart from behind.

The suspension-rods I and IX, secured to the side-bars at a2 and at the lower ends to the longitudinal bars lI II, support the central and rear portions of 'this frame, and leave the space underneath unobstructed. The horizontal member II behind the axle is carried backward on the same level with the corresponding part II in front of the axle, or in some eases this rear member is dropped below the front member, as shown in Fig. l, to reduce the distance of the step from the ground.

The slats L L extend across the frame-irons II' for nearly the entire width of the body of the cart to furnish not only a convenient step for entering or leaving the cart, but also a rack or receptacle for light articles, and in connection with a divided, tu rned-up seat, as represented in Fig. 5, the whole forms avery light and convenient structure, in which a person can enter or leave the seat quickly and without climbing over the wheel or mounting in front of it.

The advantages gained by this construction will be evident to those who are familiar with the manufacture and operation of this class of two-wheel vehicles but the points to which I desire to call attention more especially are the extension of the bars or irons II II over thel axle to the rear of the body, by which the same are kept from interference with the axle, and at the same time the rear or step-supporting part is kept integral with the front part that carries the boot, the result of which is to render the whole frame stiff and capable of resisting longitudinal movement under the body-frame, while both lightness and strength and simplicity of con- SLIIICI/IOH LI'G SCCIIIGd.

Another important feature to be noticed, and one that effectually gua-rds against the occupant being thrown out backward, is that the boot-irons or supporting-frame will not be separated from the axle when the cartsprings break or 011e of the clips that fasten the springs to the frame on the axle becomes loosened or breaks, for in such case the bows IIX of the lower frame will drop upon the axle and hold up the body of the cart.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a two-wheel vehicle the combination with a seat-carrying frame composed of' sidebars and front and back bars, and having a whii'iletree on the front bar; of shafts attached to the side-bars by pivot-bolts, springtongues secured to the rear portion of cach shaft, one spring over and the other under the portion of the shaft that extends behind the pivot, a rectangular loop secured to each side-bar and having the free ends of the said springs loosely confined and capable of longitudinal play therein, the said pivot being located between said loop and the points of attachment of the springs to the shaft, as described, to operate as set forth.

2. In a two-wheel vehicle, the combination, with a seat-frame composed of side-bars and front and rear bars, an axle united to the side-bars by body-springs and a seat mounted on the side-bars of the seat-frame; of bootcarrying irons adapted to support a boot and step under the seat-frame composed of the boot-frame irons each havin ga slanting member secured to the front bar of the seat-frame,

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a horizontal .member extending rearwardly In testimony .that I claim vthe foregoing I under the seatffralne and'having an upright. have hereunto set my hand and Seal.

bow or inVerted-U-shaped member over the axle, supporting-rods connected to the rear MILO P. HOLMES. [L. S.] ends of the boot-frame irons and to the seatframe, and a boot secured to and supportedY Witnesses: bysaidfralnefirons,substantiallyas described C. W. M. SMITH, for operation as set forth. Y CHAS. E. KELLY. 

